WORLD CHAMPIONS BRANDS, JONES, DOUGLAS AMONG CHAMPIONS AT LAS VEGAS USA FREESTYLE WORLD TEAM TRIALS IN LAS VEGAS, NEV., MAY 31Three former World Champions were among the winners at the Las Vegas USA Freestyle World Team Trials at the Thomas and Mack Center on the campus of the Univ. of Nevada-Las Vegas on May 31.
The champions qualified to represent the United States at the 1997 Freestyle World Championships in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, Aug. 29-Sept. 1. Each of the winners had to win a best-two-of-three series to claim the title.
The champions included two-time World Champion Terry Brands (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC) at 127.75 pounds, 1991 World Champion Zeke Jones (Chandler, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 119 pounds and 1993 World Champion Melvin Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 213.75 pounds.
Brands won his series in two straight matches, defeating Tony Purler (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids), 6-0 and 10-2. Brands was a World Champion in 1993 and 1995, and was also a member of the 1994 U.S. World Team.
Jones, a 1992 Olympic silver medalist, made his eighth U.S. World or Olympic team, defeating Sam Henson (Columbia, Mo./Sunkist Kids) in two straight bouts. Jones won the first match, 5-4, in overtime at 7:23 and claimed the second match, 4-3.
Douglas was a World Champion in 1993, and has won four career World medals. He defeated J.J. McGrew (Stillwater, Okla./Sunkist Kids), in two straight overtime matches. He won the first match by referee's decision, 1-0, at 8:00 and won the second bout, 5-0, in 7:37.
It took three matches to determine the 187.25 pound champion, where 1996 Olympian Les Gutches (Central Point, Ore./Sunkist Kids) defeated 1992 Olympic Champion and two-time World Champion Kevin Jackson (Gilbert, Ariz./Sunkist Kids).
Gutches won the first match by referee's decision over Jackson , 2-1, in overtine, but in the second match, Jackson came back to win, 4-3. The third match was tied 0-0 at the end of the overtime period, and both wrestlers had two passivity calls. The official selected Gutches as the winner.
Tom Erikson (W. Lafayette, Ind./Sunkist Kids) made his first World team at 275.5 pounds, defeating Tolly Thompson (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) in two straight bouts. Erikson won by pin in 1:21 in the first match, then scored an 8-2 win in the second bout. Throughout his 13 year career, Erikson has placed behind four-time Olympic medalist Bruce Baumgartner every season, including at the last three Olympic Trials.
A pair of 1997 NCAA Div. I champions went on to qualify for their first U.S. World team: Cary Kolat (Rices Landing, Pa./Dave Schultz WC) at 138.75 pounds and Lincoln McIlravy (Philip, S.D./Hawkeye WC) at 152 pounds.
Kolat beat John Fisher (Ypsilanti, Mich./Sunkist Kids) in two straight matches, 3-2 and 4-0. Kolat was a two-time NCAA champion for Lock Haven Univ.
McIlravy defeated 1996 Olympic silver medalist Townsend Saunders (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), two in a row, 6-5 and 4-0. McIlravy was a three-time NCAA champion for the Univ. of Iowa.
The 167.5-pound weight class will not be determined until a later date. Rob Koll (Dryden, N.Y.) won the 167.5-pound class in a three- match series against Steve Marianetti (Champaign, Ill./New York AC). Koll won the first match 4-0, but Marianetti won the second bout in a 2- 2 referee's decision. Koll claimed the deciding match, 4-2. The victory did not qualify Koll for the World Team. Dan St. John (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids), the 1997 U.S. Nationals champion at 167.5 pounds, was unable to compete this weekend due to injury. St. John will face Koll in a Special Wrestle-off for theWorld Team spot at a later date this summer.
LAS VEGAS USA FREESTYLE WRESTLING WORLD TEAM TRIALS at Las Vegas, Nev., May 31
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
54 kg/119 lbs. - Zeke Jones, Chandler, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Sam Henson, Columbia, Mo. (Sunkist Kids), two matches to none; Bout One - Jones dec. Henson, 5-4, ot, 7:23; Bout Two - Jones dec. Henson, 4-3
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Terry Brands, Iowa City, Iowa dec. Tony Purler, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids), two matches to none; Bout One - Brands dec. Purler, 6-0; Bout Two - Brands dec. Purler, 10-2
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Cary Kolat, Rices Landing, Pa. (Dave Schultz WC) dec. John Fisher, Ypsilanti, Mich. (Sunkist Kids), two matches to none; Bout One - Kolat dec. Fisher, 3-2; Bout Two - Kolat dec. Fisher, 4-0
69 kg/152 lbs. - Lincoln McIlravy, Philip, S.D. (Hawkeye WC) dec. Townsend Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), two matches to none; Bout One - McIlravy dec. Saunders, 6-5; Bout Two - McIlravy dec. Saunders, 4-0
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Rob Koll, Dryden, N.Y. dec. Steve Marianetti, Champaign, Ill (New York AC), two matches to one; Bout One - Koll dec. Marianetti, 4-0; Bout Two - Marianetti won by ref. dec. over Koll, 2-2, ot, 8:00; Bout Three - Koll dec. Marianetti, 4-2; Note: Koll will face Dan St. John (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) in a Special Wrestler-off at a later date.
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Les Gutches, Central Point, Ore. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Kevin Jackson, Gilbert, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), two matches to one; Match One - Gutches won by ref. dec. over Jackson , 2-1, ot, 8:00; Match Two - Jackson dec. Gutches, 4-3; Match Three - Gutches won by ref. dec. over Jackson, 0-0, ot, 8:00
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Melvin Douglas, Mesa, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) dec. J.J. McGrew, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids), two matches to none; Match One - Douglas won by ref. dec. over McGrew, 1-0, ot, 8:00; Match Two - Douglas dec. McGrew, 5-0, ot, 7:37
125 kg/275.5 lbs. - Tom Erikson, W. Lafayette, Ind. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Tolly Thompson, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids), two matches to none; Match One - Erikson pin Thompson, 1:21; Match Two - Erikson dec. Thompson, 8-2